


The Girl in the forest

by Darkhorse



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: FIx It, Gen, Time Travel, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-28
Updated: 2016-03-28
Packaged: 2018-05-29 16:35:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6384157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkhorse/pseuds/Darkhorse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gavroche gets thrown across time and meets a little girl with a big bucket in a forest</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Girl in the forest

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PilferingApples](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PilferingApples/gifts).



Gavroche blinked, going still on a gamin’s instinct as he surveyed the land surrounding him. A moment ago he had been climbing through the old cellars of Paris. Now he was out in a dark, dim forest. Some would have considered it scary, but you didn’t get to his age as a gamin by giving into fear at the slightest thing. He trotted along the rough path which had been worn into the earthy ground by many feet. Whatever had brought him here had drawn him in a particular direction and he followed it unroll he saw a glow of lights through the trees. And by them he saw that he was no longer the only one on the path. In the first line of trees, between the light and him stood a small mime, a girl mome. She clutched hold of a bucket which was nearly as big as herself, glancing nervously back at the place she had obviously just left. 

He stepped on a twig and she jumped, snapping her head around to stare at him.

"Well, what's to do?" 

She looked at him, eyes big and frightened in her pinched face, the same face he saw on his fellows.

"What's occurring?”

The girl blinked at him and gripped her bucket tighter, heaving it off the ground and beginning to back towards the lights. She stopped and glanced over her shoulder the way a frightened animal might.

“Coques on your heels?”

She blinked again, her eyes owlishly wide now "Coques?"

“Police.”

She squeaked, fear overtaking the peevishness on her face, real fear. "Madame.."

"Non, I am monsieur Gavroche of Paris."

But she didn't appreciate his little joke, instead stumbling towards him on the path into the forest, hefting the large bucket with her. He trotted forwards and seized the bucket handle. She gripped it tighter and held it close. Then she missed her balance and toppled backwards , still trying to clutch at the large bucket.

Gavroche stepped up to her, keeping his speech as plain as he could "Silly chit, the work goes easier when two pull at the harness. I'll help you."

The girl picked herself up and resumed her place holding the bucket. This time she allowed gavroche to take the other side of it.

They walked into the dark forest and Gavroche began to sing to lighten the way and the load for even with two the bucket was heavy.

"You have a mama, a papa?"

The girl shook her head, "My mama went away, I live with the innkeeper and his Madame. My mamma left me with them when I was small, she doesn't send money for my keep so I work for it." She lifted her part of the bucket and dropped into silence. 

Gavroche retook his humming, and quietly the girl joined in, singing a soft lullaby counterpoint. He shot a look at her across the bucket. Her eyes too marked her as gamine or as good as, like the rest of her face. They were frightened off the forest but there was also the permanent watchfulness of his fellows, looking to keep out of trouble or in the toughest case looking for it for some fun. A gamine, but so far from Paris, which should be the home if all such by right.

 

The girl led him to a rough clearing in the forest, which yielded a spring. It took the two of them working together to fill the bucket without incident and gavroche pulled an expressive face as he tested his arms against the full bucket.

“Carry that by yourself?”

The girl nodded "Madame would throw me out else" she glanced around as though checking for ears "But I wish I could play with nice things as Ponine and Selma do.. I only have a little lump of iron and I must make my plays quiet and mouse like."

To amuse her Gavroche threw out a loud laughed "You are a true gamine then to make your own games. Come back with me and I'll teach you running the roofs and climbing the elephant. Those are my games."

Her look was shy but interested now.

"And we shall go to the theater and make up our own songs to better those of the popinjays, which have too much sense and not enough French. Argot is the best language for rhyming in says everything in nothing. Those others say nothing by saying everything." Finally first a smile then it's accompanying laugh broke out. He gave her a smile "Everything is a joke, the worse it is the more we shall laugh at it. No bread, tantflur. It rains, O well. We have fun in Paris, winding up the coques and the bandits alike we gamine. The people think they rule,but we are the sparrows of the city and we know it best of all."

"I would like to go. "Her voice was sweet and shy, rather like the call of the sparrows. Gavroche held out his hand "Come on then… Better to run free and wild than live in fear."

She gave the houses one more glance, then set the bucket down with a hard finality of a strong will.

 

They ran together and, just as quickly as had come the forest recessed to a rough alley in Paris. He felt the girl shrink against him in fear as she took in her new surrounding.  
He let himself laugh to calm her "Come, little mouse. This Paris is much more friendly than your forest."  
She trotted at his heels as he led the way down the side street. "I'm hungry."

He turned his head to look at her "Do you have money, else we must become the greatest street actors of all."

The girl paused then visibly brightened, fishing furiously in the pocket of her apron "I have the piece Madame gave me to buy bread." She drew it out and handed it to him.  
He polished the coin and peered at it, putting on a face to hide his excitement "Ha, fifteen sous, I you and I shall feast better than the nobles on this, little bird. And afterwards I shall take you to see an elephant and a place where we can spend the night." He strode off, puffing out his chest like a national guard officer and feeling very proud of the way the girl fell in behind him, lifting her own head. She'd do well here.


End file.
